Loose-leaf binder.



J. G. MERWIN.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1913.

1,084,159, Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

H I ra= 25 J AVENTOR 35/121 C. mernq'rc //7. j. imimsflzwf r Z WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY nnrr STAKE JOI-IN C. MERWIN, Oil? HOLYOKE. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO Il'ATEClil'flli: Bliuilliili.

BOOK COMPANY, OF HOLYOKE. MASSACHUSETTS, A CDRI'ORATION 01* SETTS.

nmsseonu LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

L UMLJFQ.

Specification of Letters Estent;

intent ed d on. tell-Al.

Application filed May 10, 1913. Serial No. ?66,GC 8.

To all whom it may concern:

' Binders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use'the same.

My invention has reference to loose leaf binders which are in the form of a hook ixnd in which complementary hook'elements are provided which may he opened or closed as I the occasion may demand.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efi'ective means readily manipulated whereby the various hook elements may he simultaneously opened Without any pressure applied at. the hack of the book, a turtheigobiect of my improvement being to secure the device in position Within a hook hack in a very simple manner and without the use of any tools whatever.

With these ends in view my invention con sists in the various constructions and an rangements hereinafter fully described and then particularly pointed out in the claims which conclude this description.

' In the accompanying drawing;- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improvement. Fig. 2 a rear elevation, Fig. 3 a section at the line a w, of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 a detail interior elevation of the spring cover plute. Fig. 5 a detail interior View of the metal back which is utt-ached to the. hoolz l ip; (i an end elevation of my improvement. and Fig. '2' a side elem tion, partly in SQCl'lOIL. of my improvement as'it appears when assembled within the metal hack.

Similar numerals ot reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

1 is the cover plate which is made of sheet metal of a general trough-like shape having end portions 2 whiou act as closures for the cover plate, said portions heinp; pierced to provide slots 3 for the purpose presently to he explained. I

Within the cover plate are assembled elongated fiat strips t, 5 which carry thereinplementsryhool: members ti. Y. .1: se hooks extending through perforations 8, 9, in the cover plate in the usual n'nrnner. These strips are hinged together at their meeting edges by means of smell tongues 10., ll, which extend from one strip on opposite sides of the other strip, and ears 1?, 18, formed integral with the cover plate are turned inwardly so as to lie across the feces, oi: the strips and prevent. the latter from.

falling away from said plate. 'lhese strips when hinged together in. the .n'ianner above described are at a slight angle as shown more particularly at Fig. 3, and the closing of the hooks will force the strips downwardly until they have passed below a horizontal plane. the spring nature of the rover plate'perniitting this. After the hooks have been closed and the strips at their hinged edges brought below a horizontal plane the resiliency of the cover piste will keep the parts lorkedin this position. When the hooks are opened the cover plate 'will yield until these strips at their hinged edges here been forced above the horizontal plane. the resiliency of said plate then acting to loo-l the parts in this condition. This action of the strips and hooks is not new but is characteristic of all loose lent hinders which. employ hinged strips of this sort that carry the hook members.

Various devices ha re been heretofore ployed for opening all the hoolrs simultaneously by means of a pressure broughtv to bear against the strips, but these devices mainly contemplate a push button in the hack of the hook or are associated directly with the hack plate that is attached to the book cover.

lily present invention aims particularl provide devices in plain sight- .in the upper surface ot'the outside or cover plate oi? the hoolrs will all open simultaneously, and

. these buttons are depressed which will euuse 1 provide 11 111111111 back 24 which is secured 1 in any suitable 1111111111 1 to the boolc back. 11 1111 this metal back 111s upstanding inwardly turned lugs 95; and my i111p1'ove1nent simply attached in position 1 1' springing these lugs within the slots 21 at the ends of the l 11 said strips. and leverspivotally support cover plate.

t will be clear than the above description that pressure is applied directly against the buttons 22, at the top of the cover plate in order to open the hook member the hooks will all open simultaneously when such pressure is applied.

By merely releas ng the spring lug from the openings 3, the cover plate and all the operative parts of the binder 111113 be re-- moved'bodily without disturbing the back plate 24, and this is a decided advantage in that tin-entire book of loose leaves in their hound condition may be bodily transferred and that j to other binder covers. Also. if-neeessary, i

diflerent cover plates may be substituted carrying 11 greater or lesser number of prong hooks, by merely removing a cover plate and substituting therefor the plate desired.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In 21 loose leaf binder, the combination of a book back, a metal bacl: plate secured to said book back, a sheet metal cover plate having resilient sides and detachably secured to said back plate, and operative parts including elongated fiat strips eonfin ed between said resilient sides and pivoted together at their inner edges and carrying complementary ring sections anddevices, for opening. the

same. all connected together and carried by snid cover plate.

2. 111 a loose leaf hinder, the combination 111 a hook barlc. 11 metal back plate secured to said boolc 112111. :1 sheet metal outside cover plate having resilient sides and delarhably secured to said back plate, 01011 uted 11111 strips pivotally connected at their abutting edges and confined between said sides. con1pie11'1entar 1 ring" sections carried 1-11 by said cover plate with their inner eX- trennties extending immediately boner. 11 said strips. said levers projecting upwardly through the cover plate and provided with push buttons outside said plate.

3. 1n a loose leaf binder, the combination of a sheet metal cover plate having resilient sides longated fiat strips confined between said s and pivotally connected at their 11111111111 edges, complementary ring sec tions carried by said strips, levers pivotally .-='.1ppo1'led by said cover plate with their up per extremities extending through and above the sazne while their lower extremities extend immediately beneath the pivoted edges of said strips. and a back plate secured to the book back to which back plate said cover piate detachably connected.

The combination of the cover plate having inwardly turned ends provided with siots. of the metal back plate having 11p-- standing inwardly turned lugs adapted to he sprung Within said slots.

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOE? C. MERWIN.

l itnesses G A. ll iLMs, 

